Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Zottegem

For one person, living is cheaper in Zottegem: $2,016 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Zottegem
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Zottegem Living Index

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Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Zottegem

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,016

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brussels and in Zottegem

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brussels and in Zottegem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Brussels versus $2,016 in Zottegem.

Brussels $2,594
Zottegem $2,016

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,876 in Brussels versus $2,967 in Zottegem.

Brussels $3,876
Zottegem $2,967

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,157 in Brussels versus $3,918 in Zottegem.

Brussels $5,157
Zottegem $3,918

Living in Brussels is roughly 29% more expensive than in Zottegem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 92% above, Zottegem 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 €19.67

$23.94 €21.30

-7.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 €79.9

$71.5 €63.6

25.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.07 €13.41

$12.16 €10.81

23.93%

Cappuccino

$4.49 €4.00

$4.01 €3.57

11.97%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 €3.27

$2.46 €2.19

49.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.80

$2.80 €2.49

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.14 €4.57

10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$4.39 €3.90

28.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.46 €1.30

-7.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 €2.46

$1.43 €1.27

93.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 €2.48

$2.25 €2.01

23.56%

Eggs

$5.22 €4.65

$4.40 €3.92

18.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 €15.51

$16.78 €14.92

3.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 €11.88

$11.69 €10.40

14.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.90 €19.48

$19.34 €17.20

13.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 €2.70

$2.71 €2.41

11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.15

$2.23 €1.98

8.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 €2.52

$2.51 €2.23

12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 €3.62

$2.81 €2.50

44.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.84 €1.63

39.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 €1.99

$1.95 €1.74

14.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 €1.64

$1.53 €1.36

20.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.12

$1.14 €1.02

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.26 €11.80

$12.99 €11.55

2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 €8.55

$7.82 €6.96

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 €2.31

$1.96 €1.74

32.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.78

$1.97 €1.75

58.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 €2.50

$3.05 €2.71

-7.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.6 €54.8

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.59

$5.69 €5.06

-48.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €1.98

$2.49 €2.22

-10.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.47 €36.00

$24.63 €21.91

64.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.03 €1.80

1.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K €32.0K

$34.9K €31.0K

3.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.2K €29.6K

$37.0K €32.9K

-10.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$283 €252

$204 €181

39.13%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$21.97 €19.54

$21.82 €19.41

0.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 €46.01

$50.7 €45.09

2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 €29.62

$35.81 €31.86

-7.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.56 €24.51

$19.63 €17.46

40.40%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 €14.53

$14.33 €12.75

13.96%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,569 €1,396

$828 €736

89.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.7K €32.6K

$18.8K €16.7K

95.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$103 €91.5

0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.60 €40.56

$47.75 €42.47

-4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$102 €90.8

7.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 €130

$143 €127

2.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,172

$911 €811

44.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 €1,038

$804 €715

45.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 €2,191

$1,400 €1,246

75.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,975 €1,756

$1,189 €1,058

66.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,099 €4,535

$4,154 €3,695

22.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 €3,453

$2,881 €2,562

34.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,357 €2,986

$2,187 €1,945

53.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.71

3.46

7.23%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zottegem: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brussels

$1.2K 45%

Zottegem

$804 39.9% 31.1% $363

Groceries & Markets

Brussels

$392 15.1%

Zottegem

$332 16.5% 15.4% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brussels

$357 13.8%

Zottegem

$276 13.7% 22.7% $81

Eating Out

Brussels

$343 13.2%

Zottegem

$332 16.5% 3.3% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Brussels

$182 7%

Zottegem

$178 8.8% 2.1% $3.8

Getting Around

Brussels

$87 3.4%

Zottegem

$30 * 1.5% 65.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Brussels

$66 2.5%

Zottegem

$64 3.2% 2.3% $1.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $911 in Zottegem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 54% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $90.0 in Brussels vs $72.0 in Zottegem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $332 per month, with Zottegem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brussels

🇧🇪 Zottegem

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

Same time as Brussels

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,137 Capital

24,434

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brussels Zottegem 38 km

From you

Brussels
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brussels vs Zottegem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zottegem wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zottegem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% higher in Brussels, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,318 in Brussels versus $911 in Zottegem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,569 in Brussels versus $828 in Zottegem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zottegem – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,016 in Zottegem versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zottegem but tight or insufficient in Brussels. The gap between the two cities makes Zottegem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Brussels and Zottegem are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Zottegem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.